This is a fiction story I am writing that right now I am calling The Protectors. This is the first page of that story, I am going to post here a different page each day.

Page one

The Bones ruled a world covered in darkness. They were fierce beasts with no souls and were feared. The Bones tortured their people turned them into slaves or killed them. Their slaves worked for eternity with no sleep and no food. The Bones knew their people could not fight them, they were creatures created from magic. They did not have flesh or beating hearts. Keeping their people in fear of them made them grow stronger.

The Bones never let anyone go, they are born there, or taken from other worlds and the dark world is where they stay. Laura was one of the taken ones who, The Bones were especially cruel to, the taken ones did not become slaves, mainly because they were tortured and killed shortly after they were taken. Laura though had somehow survived. She was taken when she was a very small girl, and had lived most of her life in the dark world. The Bones didn’t know how she had lived for so long and she was their constant target. As long as she was alive The Bones power was slightly lessened. If they kept her weak and afraid they stayed strong. So The Bones broke Laura’s bones and her spirit daily.

Laura lay still in the dark, it was always dark, she was holding her right arm which had been hit with one of The Bones soldiers swords. Laura wanted to fight The Bones but when she asked for help fighting, one of the people she spoke to went to the head Bones soldier and told him what she was planning. The Bones immediately came to Laura and beat her until she couldn’t stand.

She couldn’t understand why no one would help her and why they always turned on her, so she laid still in severe pain and sobbed. Someone came up behind Laura and started gently patting her back. Laura became tense, ‘this is a trick,’ she thought as gestures of kindness often were here, no one did things out of kindness.

The person patting her back began to speak “SHHH, Shhh child don’t worry,” the voice of what seemed to be an older woman said. “I will get you out of here.”

Page 2

Laura turned to look at the woman but all she could see was a figure in the dark she couldn’t see the woman’s face, “Quiet now child,” the woman said. “They are coming.”

Laura sat up and faced the woman and suddenly the bones were there, the one in the front raised his sword and started to bring it down on the woman, “NO!” Laura screamed and held out her hands, The Bones were pushed back. The head soldiers arm still holding the sword was raised up into the air and his sword cut a hole in the side of the world and a bright light started to fill the space, Laura thought quickly, she looked for the woman but couldn’t find her and the hole was rapidly closing, she got to her feet and ran.

Laura ran through the hole and instantly started to fall, she hit ground, hard ground and the light was so bright she couldn’t see. She was gasping for breath and squinting up at the sky. She saw three Bones soldiers also come through the hole, but they went in another direction, they didn’t see where she had fallen. She couldn’t take the light anymore so she closed her eyes and curled into a ball and laid still.

The Bones followed Laura but didn’t see where she had fallen. The head soldier led the other two soldiers through the woods until they came to a solitary house. They called out with a roar and a woman came outside. The head soldier approached her and lifted her up off the ground by her throat. “Where is the girl?” He growled. Just then a man came from behind and the three soldiers pushed back causing everything in the house along with the man to fly backwards.

The soldiers fell to the ground. This attack had taken all of their strength. Shaken they mounted their horses and went back to their world. They weren’t used to weakness. They were the strongest beings in their world.

The leaders began to summon more soldiers. Laura, they decided could not stay gone, they were going to bring Laura back and kill her themselves. They had, had enough of this human who was surviving all their best soldiers efforts and they were losing more soldiers the longer this girl was here, she needed to be killed. Laura was weakening them and they needed her life to end so they could become stronger.

Page 3

Red, Blue, Purple and Green were having a day of rest. The four women, known as The Protectors were the rulers of their world.

They enforced the laws and each one came from a family of Protectors with the same abilities. Red’s family line were generally the fiercest of all the Protectors, they all could sense danger. Purple’s family line were rulers, they could read thoughts. Greens family were healers and they were called on when the doctors of the village couldn’t save someone. Blue’s family were the calmers and could view the past. Each family came together to rule their world and keep their people safe.

Each week they spent a day doing what could be described as training and worship. They had just circled a small fire and were kneeling in prayer when Red looked up to the sky. Purple sensing Reds’ thoughts raised her head as well turned to Red and asked, “What is it?”

“Trouble,” Red said. “In the forest.”

The Protectors gathered their things and made their way to the forest.

They soon came to a small clearing and where a girl was lying on her side on the forest floor moaning and sobbing. Her body shaking so hard the grass and leaves around her rustled. The protectors moved slowly forward.

“Who is it?” Red asked.

“I don’t know,” Blue replied and cautiously walked over to the girl and knelt next to her.

Green followed Blue saying, “be careful, we don’t know who she is or if she is a danger to us.”

“She’s hurt,” Blue said. “Not dangerous.”

Page 4

Purple read Laura’s mind. “She’s not from here,” Purple said. “I don’t know where she’s from but it’s all black, I keep seeing flames and bones, in flashes.”

Red scowled, “We should end her misery now,” she said and drew the sword she carried. “Saving her will threaten our world.”

“No,” Blue said putting her hand on Red’s arm. “We can’t leave a soul in misery, we must save her.”

Green knelt behind Laura and tried to put her hands on her back, but each time she did, Laura would wiggle away and whimper as if scared. “Blue,” Green called out, “I need your help.”

Blue sat next to Laura, she took a deep breath and put her hands close, but not touching Laura, and calmed her, Green then placed her hands on Laura and began to heal her broken bones. Laura lay still, she stopped shaking and moaning and her breathing became even.

Red’s sense of danger was still heightened, this wasn’t the only thing that was wrong today. Where had this girl come from? What was wrong with her? Did someone bring her there for the protectors to find? Red turned to the others and said, “This isn’t the only thing wrong, something is happening at the doctors clinic and a house on the edge of the forest.”

“We need to take her to the doctor anyway,” Green said. “She can’t open her eyes,”

Page 5

Blue and Green helped Laura up, “can you walk?” Blue asked. Laura started taking cautious steps, but it was still hard to see. “Yes,” Laura said her voice just a whisper. If she looked down, she could open her eyes a little. Blue and Green held on to Laura’s arms and started to help her walk. Red and Purple followed behind.

Laura didn’t know what happened, she just knew there were other people, and they weren’t trying to hurt her. They were talking but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. The colors weren’t trying to hurt her so when they told her to stand, she stood, when they told her to walk, she walked. Laura had never seen colors before. She was mesmerized by the colors she wanted to reach out and touch their robes but she didn’t. When they walked out of the tall trees Laura began to tremble.

They all heard a horrible scream.

“It’s the Snell’s” Purple said.

“We need to go there now,” Red said. “Something seems to be wrong with both of them.”

“What are we going to do with her?” Blue asked. “We can’t all go, we are going to have to split up.”

Red didn’t like breaking up the team. She felt like they were all stronger together, when they were apart she always felt as if something was missing. She knew Blue as right though so, reluctantly, she and Purple went to the Snell’s house and Blue and Green took Laura to the doctor.

Doctor Sally lived just outside the forest that bordered the town. Her family had all been doctors there since the world had existed. Sally’s family lived in cottages behind the office, Sally though, was the main doctor that people in town would visit.

When Blue and Green got to the doctor with Laura, Brian Snell was there. Blue and Green stopped a few feet behind him. ‘Where is Julie?’ Blue thought.

Instantly she knew something was wrong. Brian and Julie Snell were always together. They had come to the town years before Blue became a protector. All that she really knew about them was, just that, they were always together.

They had a house outside of the town like Doctor Sally, but, unlike Sally, they stayed very much to themselves and rarely participated in town events. In fact, Blue could only think of one time she had, had a conversation with them both and that was very short.

“Bryan,” Blue yelled. “Bryan Snell is everything alright?”

Page 6

Bryan turned to them and began to visibly tremble, then fell to the ground and began jerking. His back was arched, and his legs and arms were twitching. He was making an awful retching sound.

“Doctor Sally!” Blue Yelled. “Sally, somethings wrong with Bryan Snell!”

As the door to the doctor’s office opened Blue and Green knelt next to Bryan and Laura whispered, “They were here.”

Blue stood and looked at Laura who was rocking back and forth from one foot to the other.

“Who?” She asked. “Who was here?”

“Bones,” Laura replied, then she and Bryan began screaming.

Blue and Green focused their attention on Bryan, they took a deep breath and put their hands on Bryan. He stopped convulsing and started breathing normally.

“Bryan it’s Doctor Sally,” Sally had joined them at the door of her office. “Can you tell me what happened?” Sally asked.

Bryan stared blankly at the sky and laid very still. Doctor Sally leaned closer “Bryan?” she said. “What happened?”

Sally looked to Green and Blue for an answer, they both shook their heads. “We don’t know,” Green said. “Red sensed danger at their house, they are headed there now.”

“Bring him inside, can you get Purple?” Sally asked.

“We will bring her back.” Blue said.

“Please. Who is that?” Sally asked nodding toward Laura.

“We don’t know,” Green said. “We found her in the forest just before we came here. We heard screaming. Red said it was coming from the Snell’s house.”

“Is she hurt?” Sally asked.

“No,” Green said. “She just seems scared.”

“Leave her here,” Sally said. “Go find Purple.”

Page 7

Blue and Green left Bryan and Laura with Sally. Sally was appreciative of the help The Protectors offered. She had been the doctor here when the previous generation of Protectors had been around. Each generation had become more powerful than the last and she knew once a Protector always a Protector.

There was always an entire family of Protectors available if needed. Just like generations of her family were available if doctors were needed. Sally felt safe but she was uncomfortable with this new visitor.

Sally didn’t get scared easily, but this girl scared her and made her very uneasy. When Green and Blue left, the girl stood in the doorway rocking back and forth on her feet until Sally shouted, “girl! Close the door.” The girl closed the door and stayed outside. Sally sighed, she didn’t have time to worry about her now, she needed to help Bryan.

“What happened to you Bryan?” Sally asked out loud. To her surprise she heard the muffled sound of the girl on the other side of the door. Sally opened the door startling the girl who fell backward and screamed. Sally stood still, something bad had happened to this girl, she didn’t know what but when the girl fell she turned her head and raised her arms in defense, she appeared to think Sally was going to hit her.

“What did you say?” Sally knelt down in front of her and calmly asked. “Girl, what did you say?”

The girl kept her head turned and her arms up to guarding her face. Sally watched as she closed her eyes and buried her face in her arms. The girl began to sob so hard her whole body shook.

“I’m sorry,” Sally said gently. “I didn’t mean to scare you, tell me your name so I don’t have to keep calling you girl.”

“Laura,” Laura stopped shaking, but didn’t look up.

“Laura, my name is Sally, I want to help my friend Bryan. Can you help me help him?”

Laura got up and walked inside the office where Bryan was laying, with Sally close behind her.

Laura leaned close to Bryan and said, “Wake up, you are going to be alright. We are with you.”

Bryan gasped and started blinking his eyes. Laura looked at Sally, “he needs the light,” she said.

“What?” Sally asked. “What light?”

Laura took Bryan’s arm and started to help him up, “He saw them,” she explained to Sally. “He needs the light to feel better.”

Sally held Bryan’s other arm and helped Laura take him outside.

Page 8

Purple was following Red and they both were moving quickly. Purple was trying to find the mind of the person in danger.

“Julie Snell,” Purple said. “I can’t read her though, I just hear screams.”

Red and Purple arrived at the Snell’s house and lying at the front door was Julie Snell. Red approached first, her hand on her sword.

As Red searched the Snell’s home Purple knelt by Julie, “She’s dead.” Purple called out to Red, then entered Snell’s house.

Red asked, “Can you read Bryan?

”
Purple looked around at the wrecked house, “I see Doctor Sally,” she said. “What happened here?”

Purple was trying to take it all in but it was difficult to figure out what had happened at that house. Everything in the house was all the way at the back, furniture, books, clothes, curtains, everything. It looked to Purple like someone had come inside and had picked everything in the house up and threw it to the back of the house. All of the Snell’s things were broken beyond repair. Did Bryan do it? Julie? If it was Julie how did she die? There were more questions than answers here and when she looked over at Red she could see from the look on Red’s face that she had a lot of questions as well.

“Blue and Green are here,” Purple said. She and Red stepped outside and met them just as they were walking up to the Snell’s house.

Blue and Green stopped next to Purple and Red, all four were looking down at Julie Snell. Blue looked at Purple and asked, “what happened?”

Purple shook her head and said, “I can’t read her, it was dark and there were screams. Someone was saying ‘she isn’t here’.” She paused, “It doesn’t make sense.”

Blue and Green put their hands on Julie “She has been dead for several hours,” Blue said. “I can’t save her,” Green said at the same time.

Red crouched down next to Julie and said a prayer. She took note of the destruction of the house, there were no footprints, no evidence of anyone being there. “Is it just Julie and Bryan here?” she asked.

“Yes,” Purple said. “As far as I know they have always lived here by themselves.”

Page 9

When Sally and Laura took Bryan outside his eyes flew open, and he began thrashing around as if he was fighting something.

Sally held his arms down and said, “Bryan, Bryan Snell. It’s me Doctor Sally, you’re alright, you’re at my office.”

Bryan stopped thrashing and stared at Sally.

“Green and Blue found you outside my office. This girl and I brought you inside,” Sally explained to Bryan. “The Protectors are at your house now, can you tell me what happened?”

Bryan blinked rapidly as if clearing his mind, he tried to speak, but it came out raspy and distorted, “Julie, did you find her?”

“Green, Blue, Purple and Red, are at your house now,” Sally told him. “Is Julie in trouble?”

Bryan sank to the ground. “Save Julie!” Bryan repeated over and over.
 

Red, Blue, Purple and Green placed Julie Snell’s body on a door and began to carry her to Doctor Sally’s office. They were silent as they walked.
The death of a person in their world from something other than illness or old age was unheard of, many things were going through their minds. Now they were respecting Julie’s peace. That’s what death is, final rest, the body and mind at peace.

When Doctor Sally’s office came in to view The Protectors were startled by Bryan running toward them, after him came Sally shouting for Bryan to stop.

The group stopped and sat Julie down, Bryan sat next to her holding her and sobbing. The women all put their hands on Bryan’s back allowing him his grief. Then out of nowhere Laura was there placing her hands on Julie’s chest.

“You will be safe now,” Laura said. “You are in the light.”

Surprisingly Julie’s eyes opened, she started breathing. She was looking around at everyone with wide eyes.

Bryan started crying joyfully. “Julie, Julie you’re alive, you’re alive.” They embraced each other and were both sobbing. The others were in shock as well they stared at the couple.

Page 10

“Did she just bring her back to life?” Red asked.

Blue, Green, Purple and Sally looked at Red then started looking around for Laura.

“Where did she go?” Sally asked.

The group looked back at Bryan and Julie, they were smiling and talking.
“I’ll go look,” Blue said. The rest of the women turned back to Julie and Bryan. Sally knelt down next to them and began examining them both.

Blue walked around the group and looked towards the tree line. Laura couldn’t have gone far in the small amount of time they were watching this miracle happen. Blue walked into Sally’s office Laura was sitting in the corner shivering.

“I’m sorry,” Laura said. “Don’t hurt me please, please, I’m sorry please.”

Blue stayed where she was confused by this girl they had found. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, “what you just did, you brought someone back from the dead.”

Laura stared at Blue still shaking she said, “don’t hurt me please, I didn’t mean to, please.” Blue moved closer to where Laura was sitting.

Blue sat with her legs crossed in front of Laura, far enough away that Blue wouldn’t scare her. She noticed Laura relaxing a little, she wasn’t shaking anymore but she was looking down at her hands that were grasping her knees.
Blue shifted a little then asked, “Let’s start with your name, what’s your name?”

“Laura,” Laura said quietly.

“Laura,” Blue said “that’s a pretty name. Where did you come from? How did you get here?”

“The dark, I don’t know,” Laura said.

“The dark, that is the name of your world?” Blue asked.

Laura shook her head. Blue sat for a minute confused, but she had to move on, she thought for a minute then asked, “How did you wake up Julie?”

Laura shook her head and closed her eyes, “I don’t know. I just didn’t want her to be that way forever, so I asked to wake her up.”

Blue gave Laura a blanket and asked her to stand, then tried to help her to a bed, but Laura would not budge. Blue sat with Laura until she stopped shaking then joined the others outside, Julie and Bryan were still embracing and crying.
 

Page 11

Green walked to Blue “what did the girl say?” she asked.

“Her name is Laura,” Blue said. “She doesn’t seem to understand what she did for Julie. She just said she didn’t want Julie to stay that way forever, so she asked to wake her up.”

“She doesn’t know she brought her back to life?” Green was surprised.

Blue shook her head, the pair drifted back to the group. Red was talking with Julie and Bryan and Sally was listening to their conversation. Blue and Green stood next to Purple.

“Bryan can remember what happened, but Julie can’t,” Purple said. “All I can see is darkness.”

Red came over followed by Sally, “I don’t like this,” Red said. “Nothing feels right.”

Once Julie and Bryan had composed themselves, The Protectors asked Sally if they could leave Laura with her so they could take Bryan and Julie back home. Sally then watched as the group left. Sally looked back at her office. Sally was filled with dread. Something was off, and it was because of this strange girl. Sally sighed and slowly walked back inside of her office.
 

On the way to their house Julie and Bryan told The Protectors what they remembered about the night before.

Bryan heard a ‘cracking’ sound like thunder but not thunder. “It sounded like thunder,” Bryan tried hard to explain the sound. “But once I was awake,” he continued, “it didn’t seem like what I heard was thunder, then I went to the window, but it was so dark I couldn’t see anything.”

Bryan took a deep breath, “Julie ran past me then,” he said. “She said she heard knocking and opened the front door. There was someone there and I tried to see who it was, he grabbed Julie by her throat and lifted her up of the ground. He was yelling something, but I couldn’t make it out because he was hurting Julie, so I ran toward him. Then all I felt was heat, I must have been knocked unconscious because the next thing I remember is waking up and the sun was out. Julie was just lying there…I went to get Sally.”

Julie put her arm through Bryans and laid her head on his shoulder. “All I remember is opening the door,” she said. “After that it all goes blank.”
 

“There’s char marks around the door,” Red said turning to Purple.

Purple laid both hands on the door frame, “I haven’t been able to see anything,” she said. “I just feel heat and hear screams.”

Red peered inside the house where Blue and Green were helping Bryan and Julie clean. There were a lot of leaves and twigs. Most of the contents of the house were pushed all the way to the back. It all was so surreal.

The sun was starting to set when Red turned to Purple and said, “we need to go to the town,” Purple nodded in agreement.
 

Page 12

Blue noticed as they walked through town that no one seemed scared, everyone was going through their nightly routines as they did at the end of every day. As she and the rest of the protectors walked past people waved or called out greetings. Blue thought, ‘They must have slept through all of it,’ what had happened the night before had only happened to Bryan and Julie.

Blue and the others continued on and waved back to those who called out, then they were approached by Judy.

Judy lived on the edge of town and raised sheep for wool. She had a story to tell.

“I have been looking for you,” Judy told The Protectors. “Please come, I have something to tell you.”

The group followed Judy into her cottage. It was warm and cozy inside and The Protectors gratefully accepted Judy’s offer to sit, it felt good to sit down, Blue thought, it had been a long day.

“Last night right after the sun went down, I was feeding the sheep in the barn,” Judy began. “There was a flash of light, like lightening then a loud sound like thunder.”

The Protectors leaned in, they were all intently listening. Judy had their full attention.

“I went outside, because I thought it was going to rain and I needed to make sure all the sheep were in the barn. When I looked up I saw a hole in the sky, then a girl fell through the hole,” Judy paused.

“Laura,” Blue said, “Laura was the girl.”
 

“You found her? The Girl?” Judy asked. “I tried to find you, I went to the cottages, but you weren’t there so I thought maybe you had already gone to see what happened. Listen to me closely now,” Judy said. “The girl was not alone, there were three other, um beings?”

Judy paused again, then continued. “They were skeletons, in black cloaks and they were riding horses made of fire. There were three of them. They disappeared in the trees. I turned my back for a moment, and when I turned back the hole was gone.”

The protectors thanked Judy for telling them, they assured her they found the girl and she was still alive. They each stood and hugged Judy, then walked to their main house.

It was time to make a plan.
 

Page 13

The protectors were all very quiet for a moment. Each one in their own way reflecting on the day.

Red was deep in thought. She looked around at the others, Blue and Purple were helping make something to eat and she and Green were sitting at the table with a few elders.

Red looked to her elders for guidance often and tonight she thought she really needed guidance.

“Papa Red,” she said turning to the man next to her, “we had strange occurrences today.”

The room fell silent and everyone looked to the elder member of the Red family.

“I know,” he said. “I can also tell how bothered you are by all of this.”

Red and Green shook their heads, and Blue and Purple joined them from the kitchen.

“What have you been told?” Papa Red asked.

Red told him about Laura, and what happened to Bryan and Julie. Then finally she told him about what Judy the sheepherder saw in the sky.

“I see,” Papa Red sat back. He looked at each of the current Protectors and sighed. “I guess now is the time I should tell you about the Dark World.”
 
“As you all know, our world is not the only world here,” Papa Red explained. “We call each different area our world, but as you also know, they are all connected.”

“We can go from our world to the others,” he continued, “and vice versa only, no one ever does. All the people of our world and the other worlds don’t really travel around much.”

“Each world has it’s own rules, laws and rulers,” Now it was Mother Purple who was speaking. “This way no one ever really needs help from other worlds and each one in it’s own right is very self contained.”

Mother Purple stood and began walking around the room. “There is one though, that is not connected to ours or the others, but they travel between our worlds and the others. They cause destruction and chaos. We have never seen them until now it seems.”

Mother Purple looked at The Protectors, they knew she could read their thoughts so they didn’t have to answer.

“This world doesn’t care for it’s people and is ruled by creatures called The Bones.” Papa red said. “They can also move through the worlds and they take people from them, but, they have never come to ours.”

Red looked at the Elders, “How do we defeat them?” she asked.

Mother Purple shook her head, “We don’t know, we have never had an encounter with them. I would stay close to this girl, Laura that you spoke of, she has the answer.”
 

Page 14

Doctor Sally couldn’t understand Laura. After Laura brought Julie back to life, she had come back inside the office, sat in the corner by the window, buried her head in her arms and stayed there.

She rocked back and forth and quietly repeated over and over, “I’m sorry, don’t hurt me.”

After a few moments Sally sat next to her and speaking softly said, “I won’t hurt you,” Laura put her head down, stopped rocking and was silent.

Sally made something to eat, she tried to get Laura to eat at the table, but Laura wouldn’t move. Sally gave up and sat the plate next to Laura.
Sally ate then looked at Laura, she had also eaten the food, stopped rocking and was staring out the window. Sally took a blanket from one of the patient beds and draped it over Laura’s shoulders. Laura was so thin, she looked as if she hadn’t eaten for years, she was skin and bones.

Sally picked up Laura’s empty plate and had just stood back up when there was a knock at the door. Laura put her head in her arms, started rocking and repeating her “I’m sorry,” chant again.

Sally opened the door and saw Red and Green standing there.

“We have something we need to tell you,” Red said.

Red filled Sally in on what the elders had told her, “We are going to stay here tonight. Purple and Blue are at the main homestead. They will come if they are needed.”

Laura had stopped chanting and Sally looked toward her, “are you going to hurt me?” Laura asked.

Red shook her head leaned forward and said, “No, we won’t hurt you. No one wants to hurt you.”

“Are you from the Dark World?” Green asked Laura.

Laura closed her eyes and started to sob, in a soft whispery voice she said, “Yes.”

Red looked to Green then back to Laura, she shifted her weight in the silence then asked, “How did you get here?”

Laura opened he eyes wide with a shaky voice she said, “The Bones were after me, they are always after me, somehow I pushed them back, then one opened the side of their world with their sword and I ran through.”
 

Red and Green took turns sleeping that night. Laura didn’t sleep. Green told her she needed rest, but she would just shake her head.

Late that night while Red was keeping guard Laura sat up strait and put her face against the window. Red sensed something also and woke Green, and they both looked out the window with Laura.

“The Bones are here,” Laura said, her gaze not leaving the window. “But something is wrong, they can’t find me. They are near the town.”

Red and Green left Doctor Sally’s and quickly started toward the town. Both were so focused on finding The Bones that neither one noticed Laura had left with them.

Page 15

The Dark World leader chose four of their fiercest soldiers to find Laura.

The Bones soldiers were held in the highest regard by the leaders and the other Bones. They were the cruelest Bones and tortured people in other worlds by giving them nightmares, turning them against one another or changing them into people their loved ones no longer knew. They also took people from other worlds and brought them back to The Dark World leaving their loved ones with the pain and misery of never knowing what happened to them.

Laura was a taken one, but the leaders didn’t tell the soldiers where she was taken from and so many had come and gone since then that they couldn’t remember. All they knew now was Laura needed to return. She couldn’t live free, she had powers that The Bones feared and their greatest fear had been that she would use the powers on them, so she had to come back.

The soldiers carried long swords and with these swords they cut through the edges of their world to other worlds. These they called tears, only the Bones could go through tears to other worlds but only the soldiers or anyone the soldiers took could go back through. The soldier who made the accidental tear that Laura went through was destroyed.

The head soldier told the others to get ready, they mounted their horses and the head soldier made the tear and leaped through with the other three following close behind.
 

Laura followed the colors who had come to guard her. She knew they hadn’t realized she had followed them but she needed to keep them safe. Laura felt the heat before she heard the noise and saw the light. Red and Green were ahead of her.

Laura tried to scream, she tried to yell, but no sound came out. She began to shake and when she tried to move she couldn’t. It was fear that kept her standing in the spot. Fear from so many years of torture and beatings by The Bones. Laura couldn’t breathe, then she saw the four Bones soldiers arrive and stop Red and Green in their tracks, she exhaled.

Something changed within her, like a light switch turning on she suddenly had the ability to move and she was screaming, “NO! DON’T HURT THEM!”

Laura ran toward The Bones Soldiers and just as the head soldier was about to strike Red with a sword, Laura held her hands out in front of her and screamed, “NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!”

The soldier was pushed back into the other bones soldiers. Laura turned her hands around and put them together in front of her and started to pull them apart, a motion like opening a set of sliding doors, then the soldier attempting to attack Red blew apart. The other three soldiers focused their attack on Laura and she screamed a guttural primeval scream and pulled them apart as well.

Laura looked at Red, who was on her left, then Green on her right. She saw the look of utter shock on their faces, then she plunged into darkness.

Page 16

Red and Green flew out of Sally’s office with no idea Laura had followed behind them. Red was in front, she was alerting an area a few feet away, with Green close behind. When the light came followed by a strange cracking sound, both women stopped in their tracks. Red Pulled out her sword and Green already had her bow and arrow, both were ready for the fight. Red saw the soldiers first and yelled to Green, “FOUR, ALL ON SOME KIND OF FIREY BEASTS.”

The head soldier approached Red quickly raising a sword made of some kind of light. he raised it over his head and was about to swing it down on Red when suddenly behind her she heard Laura scream and then saw the soldier fly backward.

Red stared in astonishment as Laura ran past her and screamed again then with just a motion of her hands pulled all four of the Bones apart. She then watched Laura look at her and Green and fall to the ground.

Green didn’t even load an arrow, she had her bow in her hand and stared dumbfounded as Laura ran up and split apart the bones just as one was about to attack Red with a weird sword. Green had her bow in one hand and an arrow in the other and turned to look at Laura, then Red, and just then Laura fell backward to the ground with a hard thump.
 

At the Protectors homestead Purple and Blue were in the middle of a very restless sleep. Purple sat up, she heard screaming, Laura screaming.

“Blue,” she said shaking her, Blue was laying in the bed next to her. “Blue, wake up, I heard something.”

Blue was instantly awake and on her feet, “What was it?” she asked.

“Laura,” Purple said. “Laura was screaming, I can’t sense Red or Green.”
They quickly put on their cloaks and left.

Green and Red rushed to where Laura had fallen Green held her hand over Laura’s chest, “She’s breathing. She’s ok just exhausted.”

Red stood next to them both and shook her head. “Who is this girl?” Red asked. “She fell from the sky, she has these powers, there are undead skeleton soldiers coming after her, we have to figure out who she is…” Red trailed off, Green looking at her and the look on her face asked, “What? What is it?” Red didn’t answer, “Red?” Green said her name like a question, “What’s going on?”

“I think I just saw her past,” Red said sounding shocked.

Red ran to Laura at the same time Green did, she watched Green kneel down and touch Laura’s chest, she heard her say that Laura was alive and breathing. Red heard a sound in her head like a rushing sound, she could hear but it was muffled. She was talking to Green but didn’t know if she was shouting because her voice sounded muffled. Red knew she was asking about Laura but it was like suddenly everything was choppy, like she was fading in and out but she was awake and alert, then, she started to see something and hear something.

She saw Julie, and Bryan they were holding a baby and the baby was screaming. Then the scene flashed to a small girl outside Bryan and Julies house, the girl was staring at the sky, Julie was running out to her, there was a flash of light and the girl was gone. Julie was sitting on the ground screaming and sobbing.

Then the present came back at Red fast, she looked at Green, “I think I just saw her past.” Red didn’t like this, she was freaking out.  
 

Page 17

Purple and Blue were running, they didn’t hear the thunder or see the lightning that occurred when The Bones soldiers came from the sky. Purple started to slow down, Blue who was running by her side slowed down also, “What’s wrong?” she asked Purple.

“I can’t sense Red, only Green.” Purple said.

“Is she ok?” Blue asked.

“Yea,” Purple answered. “She’s fine, I just can’t sense her mind. It’s like she’s there, but she’s not.”

“We need to go, do you know where they are?” Blue was looking at Purple with concern.

Purple was perplexed. This was something she had never sensed before, Green she could see clearly, but Red was fuzzy. Her thoughts were coming in and out and not complete, the only way she could explain it was Red was there, but not there, like she was knocked unconscious but she was wide awake.

“They are about a mile away from Doctor Sally’s office,” Purple finally told Blue and they set off again. Purple couldn’t quiet her unease. Something really did not feel right.
 

Green was concerned, what did Red just say? She had no words, so she just stared at Red. Then, Laura started to speak. Green looked down at her but her eyes were closed. Green noticed Red come closer and kneel down on the other side of Laura. “Did you hear her?” Red asked Green, but Green hadn’t so she just shook her head.

Then Laura spoke again, “There’s too many, they will come back, to get me, there’s too many.” Laura was still unconscious and Green started to feel sick to her stomach. She looked at Red, “What did you see? In the past?” Green asked Red.

Red sat back on her heels and shook her head, “I don’t know if I can trust it,” Red explained. “I think Laura is Julie and Bryans child.”

Green stared at Red, no, she thought. Laura is from here. But no, that can’t be right. “This is all so confusing, nothing is really making much sense,” Green continued, “We need to bring her with us, she isn’t hurt or sick, it’s just like she is sleeping,” just then, Purple and Blue came crashing through the tall grass and running to them. Green thought they both looked as freaked out as she and Red were, and they hadn’t seen what she and Red had seen.
 

Blue ran over to Laura and Green, Red had stood back up again, she looked at Purple and said “The Bones the Elders told us about were here, riding horses made of fire they came through a crack in the sky and attacked us. Laura blew them all up, even the horses…” Red trailed off mid-story. A thought had Just occurred to her, where are all the pieces?

Laura had blown them up and there should be pieces of bones scattered all over.

“Red,” Purple said. “Red are you alright?”

“The pieces,” Red said looking at Purple. “Where are the pieces of the skeletons, Laura blew them up, shouldn’t there be pieces of them laying all around us?”

Red began moving around and looking through the grass.

Purple looked at Green, and Green was looking back at them, ‘she thinks she saw the past.’ Purple heard Green’s mind say. Purple followed close to Red and started looking through the grass also, but she suddenly realized she didn’t know what to look for, Red hadn’t finished telling her what happened which was very unlike Red. ‘Actually,’ Purple thought, ‘she seems very not like herself.’

“Red,” Purple called to her, “What are we looking for?”

“Bones,” Red replied, “The things that attacked us were skeletons, all bones.”

“They attacked you?” Purple asked.

“Yes the one in the front had a sword made of some kind of light and just as he was about to swing the sword, Laura…” Red stopped, and stared at something on the ground. Purple was starting to become concerned. Red out of all of them was the one who was always clear headed. Serious to the point of being annoying.

She never stopped talking she never did anything like this. Red, Purple realized was frightened. If Red, the fiercest of all the protectors was frightened what did that mean for the rest of them. While lost in her thoughts Purple didn’t realize Red had turned and spoke to her, “What?” Purple asked.

“Come look,” was all Red said, then she turned and looked back down at the spot on the ground.

Page 18

Red has so many thoughts in her mind she needed to process. The first was what had just happened. She watched Laura save her, and Green with a swipe of her hands. Second, who was this girl with this enormous power of not only destroying evil beasts but also bringing life back to people. Green, the healer, couldn’t bring people back to life. She was also a jumble of thoughts over what she saw after the attack. She saw something from the past, which wasn’t her normal skill, it was Blue’s.

She was in the middle of explaining what happened with the skeletons and Laura to Purple when she saw it, what she was looking for, sort of, it was a huge pile of ashes.

Red looked at Purple, “Come look,” she said.
 
Laura’s head was spinning. She couldn’t move, her whole body was weak. She laid where she was with her eyes closed.

Laura could see The Bones. They were gathering more soldiers, regrouping and making a plan. The soldiers were coming to get her, and they wanted to take her back to the Dark World to kill her. She could see all of this in her mind, like she was there with the soldiers she could hear all of their plans.

“There are so many of them, too many,” Laura said. She realized then that the soldiers couldn’t hear her, but the colors did, she had said it aloud. Laura didn’t want to frighten the colors, so she stayed silent.
 
Purple stared at the pile of ashes and tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Once she was close to Red she could hear her thoughts and they were jumbled. That’s probably why I couldn’t sense her before, she thought. Then there were these ashes, she turned and looked around there were three more piles of ashes behind the pile they were looking at, Purple walked forward, she heard Red say, “Purple, look, it’s the sword.”

Purple turned and looked at Red, she was holding a large sword, “look,” Red said to Purple, “It’s charred, like it’s been in a fire.”

Purple walked closer to Red and inspected the sword she was holding. She saw the burn marks on the handle and blade. Swords have to get very hot to burn, Purple thought to herself. This must not be a normal sword.

“We need to take this and Laura back with us and speak to the elders,” Purple said.

Red nodded in agreement and said, “That is going to be the safest option, that way at least no one else in town will be hurt.”

Purple and Red picked up the sword and walked over the Blue and Green who were kneeling next to Laura. Blue looked up when she saw them, she was worried, but trying not to show just how worried she was, it wasn’t working.

“What’s wrong?” Red asked Blue.

Blue shook her head, she was trying to clear her thoughts. Laura was still laying on the ground and she kept repeating over and over, ‘there’s too many.’

Blue sighed, “We need to talk to the elders. Laura keeps saying ‘there’s too many’ and ‘they will come back.’ I think we need to prepare for a war.”

Blue looked down at Laura, the girl looked so thin and frail, and yet, both Red and Green said she saved their lives. The power this girl had was unbelievable. She disintegrated these bones soldiers with just a swipe of her hands but she still seemed afraid.

Red looked at Blue, “Purple and I decided to take her back to our homestead and regroup with the elders. We had better go now, the sun will come up soon and we need rest.”

Once Red said that, Blue realized just how tired she was. The past day and night had been exhausting. Red was right they needed rest. Blue just hoped they would get that rest.

Laura’s fear was bothering Blue and she didn’t know if she could make it past this fear and protect her world and those in her world.

Purple had also made it back to the group, she was holding something. “What is that?” Blue asked her.

“It’s the sword from one of the soldiers.” Purple said. “We are going to take it to the elders.”

Blue focused her attention back to Laura and Green. Laura’s eyes were open and Green was helping her to her feet.

“Will she be able to walk to our homestead?” Blue asked.

Both Green and Laura shook their heads, yes she can walk.
Blue then followed the group as they silently headed back home.
 

Page 19

On the way back to the protectors homestead Laura felt woozy. She felt like such a burden to them, they had to keep stopping because she kept falling. Laura felt so weak.

It was the attack she used all of her energy to stop The Bones from hurting these beautiful colors that were helping her, she kept telling them she was sorry. They kept reassuring her everything was alright, but she knew nothing was alright. Nothing was ever alright.

“They are making plans to come back with more soldiers,” Laura said. She squeezed her eyes shut and said, “I can see in my mind what they are doing, like I am in the room with them.”

All the colors stopped quick and Laura fell to the ground.

“You can see them?” The Purple one asked.

Laura could only shake her head. She had never felt this tired before. Not even when The Bones tortured and beat her, this was a different kind of tired.

“What are they planning?” The Red one asked.

Laura was breathless “They are sending more soldiers, when the day becomes night again. I really need to rest.”

All of the colors nodded in agreement. “Come now,” The Blue one said. “We will get you to our home and we can all rest.”

Page 20

There is something distressing about the calm before a storm. Blue thought as she watched the sun come up, you just don’t know when it will happen but you know it is going to happen.

Blue was keeping watch at the tower by the gate to the protectors homestead. From here she could see the entire town. If she looked to her left, she could see Red in the other tower.

They had slept about an hour then took the posts from Green and Purple. Blue was deep in thought when she heard a noise behind her, she turned quickly her hand on her katana by her side.

“It’s just me,” Papa Blue said. “I came to keep you company.”

Blue sighed, and shook her head, “I’m sorry, I’m on edge today Papa Blue. There are too many things I can’t work out in my head.”

Papa Blue put his hand on Blue’s shoulder, “It’s ok,” he said. “This is distressing, we are encountering things we have never had to deal with before.”

They both sat near the walls edge and quietly soaking in the first rays of sun. This was Blues favorite time of day, first light a new day, a new dawn. Blue tried to let the warmth of the sun calm her, it wasn’t working.

“Speak your mind,” Papa Blue said.

Blue sighed and closed her eyes, she was trying to think what to say. She was afraid, she knew there was a battle coming. She wished they had never saved Laura. She felt ashamed for wishing they had never saved Laura. Her soul was hurting she just didn’t know to put it in to words.

“I’m scared of what is going to happen papa, I wish that none of this was happening now, I don’t want anyone to die or to be hurt. I know our people, they will fight with us and this worries me, I have come to love this town, the people in the town. I can’t bear to see them suffer.”

Blue felt the air escape her lungs and the weight lift from her chest. She began to relax a little.

“I also don’t want to lose you, or any of the other elders, or my fellow protectors. I feel the sadness of loss already and this fight hasn’t even started yet.” Blue felt the hot sting of tears fill her eyes, she started to blink rapidly to stop them, but it didn’t work, the tears began to flow.

Papa Blue draped an arm over Blue’s shoulder and let her cry. She started to feel the weight of everything that had occurred over the past day and night slowly fade away. The peace and comfort all the elders gave Blue was something she couldn’t describe.

She just knew she was grateful for them, and their support, and she knew that no matter what they would be there.

Blue wiped away her tears took a deep breath and stood up, just then Purple approached them.

“Laura’s awake,” She told them. “She knows what The Bones are planning.”

Page 21

Red and Purple were in a conference with the Elders. They had just made it back to the homestead and found the elders up and waiting for all of them. Red and Green told them of the battle while Purple and Blue helped Laura settle in a spare room.

Red was visibly flustered and a whole range of emotions were filling her head, so much that it was hard for her to make a full thought. She was angry, very angry. That rose above all the rest. How dare these terrible beasts come to their home and bring their anger to their world. For what reason? To bring Laura back? From what Laura had told them as they were walking back they had never wanted her there anyway, and Laura did not want to return.

‘Now,’ Red thought, ‘we have to fight to keep them away.’

She also knew she was tired. The events of the day and night had exhausted her, and also she had seen Laura’s past which was not a power she usually had. Red sat in the corner after speaking and leaned back against the wall with her eyes closed. She could hear everyone else still speaking and their voices were calming her and helping her relax.

Red felt movement next to her, she opened her eyes. Mama Red was sitting next to her. Mama Red put her hand over Reds and didn’t speak. She knew her daughter well. They sat in silence and Red was comforted by her presence.

“You need rest,” Mama Red said quietly. “Once you are rested you will know what to do.”

Mama Red stood and walked to the rest of the group, she said some things Red couldn’t hear, then came back and helped Red stand. She then led Red to her room.

“Get some sleep Red, Purple and Green are keeping watch out front.” Mama Red explained. “You and Blue will cover them in about and hour.”

Red had just barely laid down before she was asleep.

Page 22

In her dreams Red saw flashes of light. She saw Bones, and they were taking people.

Red saw them pull children from their beds. She saw them take an old man who was just walking down the street. That man died before they had a chance to torture him.

In her dream this made the Bones angry and they went right back to that same world and took a girl, a young girl, maybe a teenager. This girl stayed alive and Red saw her in The Dark World being tortured and made to work. It was hot Red walked around this awful place and saw lots of people working.

It seemed to be a foundry of some sort, but Red couldn’t figure out how anyone finished anything because The Bones kept pushing over vats of hot molten iron. The people there would cower in fear, some would get horrifically burned, then a few seconds later they were fine, but the process would start all over again.

Red couldn’t figure out how she was seeing this. She didn’t know if it was a lucid dream, or if she was somehow teleported to this world. It all centered around this teenage girl. No one could see Red, but she could see them. Red could see what was happening to the girl and she could hear what she was saying. She was crying a lot, and Red could hear her thoughts. She kept repeating in her mind over and over, don’t burn me, don’t burn me, but she would always get burned.

Red realized after some time that this girl was the only one producing swords.

The Bones would come in and push over all the vats and this girl would pull swords out of the hot metal with her bare hands. The Bones would take them from her, then push her in to the hot metal. The girls screams cut through Red like a knife.

She woke during one of these screams, Mama Red was there beside her bed.

Page 23

“What did you see?” Mama Red asked.

Red sat up and looked at Mama Red. She was trying hard to shake the feeling the dream left. She rubbed her face with her hands and shook her head.

“I saw The Bones,” Red told Mama Red. “There were people making swords, and just as they would finish, The Bones would burn them with the hot metal. The people couldn’t finish making the swords because they would be burned. Then the process would start all over again.”

Red drew in a deep breath, then let it out, “there was one girl,” she continued. “She would reach her hands in to the hot metal and bring out a sword. Every time, her hands would be terribly burned and she would reach in anyway and bring out a sword.”

Red started to shake, she was scared, she felt the fear of the people she saw in her dream.

“They kept burning them,” she said. “But then it would reset and they would all get burned again. We can’t let this keep happening. We have to do something. They can’t take Laura back.”

Mama Red sat on the edge of the bed and Red leaned into her, she sat with her in silence. After some time Mama Red spoke.

“We will not let them,” Mama Red said. “We will bring an end to The Dark World and end all their people’s suffering. You have my support and the support of all the elders.”

Red was worried about the elders help, she didn’t tell Mama Red but she didn’t want them to have to fight this fight. She needed to make a plan with the other Protectors. Right now though, Red needed to pull herself together and go to the guard tower. She got up and straightened out her robes then walked with Mama Red to the door of her room.

“You still seem distressed,” Mama Red said.

Red shook her head, “I am, I don’t want anything to happen to you or the other elders, but I know I can’t stop you.”

Mama Red drew Red to her and they hugged. Red accepted the embrace and held back tears. She couldn’t help feeling that this may be the last time this happened. After several moments Red stepped back and opened the door. Blue was there she was just about to knock.

“Are you ready?” Blue asked.

“Yes,” Red replied. “I am ready for anything.”